NK - Question

[Scott Fridenberg]

Rebecca M. Heydon wrote:

>

<snip>.....

>   What makes someone *want* to become a Peer?
>
> Rowan
>

Well as someone who "wants to become a peer" I'll take a stab at that one.

    First when I say I want to be a peer I don't mean I want the little insignia
because it looks cool and people will think I'm important.   I want the
acknowledgment from the people we hold up as examples of the ideals of our
society, that I've worked hard, distinguished myself in skill and character, and
am good enough to counted as their equal or peer.   Which is one of the reasons
that I feel a Crown does a real disservice to someone to elevate them to peerage
over the objections of the order.
    Why do I want to be a peer?  I believe that one of the best ways to grow as
an individual is to set goals for yourself then work to achieve them.  Achieving
goals that you have worked for provides a sense of satisfaction, accomplishment
and pride.  As a rule small, easily achieved goals don't  provide a lot of
satisfaction.  You need them.  The journey to big achievements is usually made
up of many smaller steps.  The really important goals should be something beyond
your immediate grasp.  They should make you stretch yourself to achieve things
you wouldn't otherwise do.
    I once said to someone that I was trying to do something or other that I
thought might help my chances of someday being a laurel, And they took exception
to that.  They thought that it was wrong to do something just because it might
help you recieve an award.  I don't agree with that attitude, keeping in mind
that the goal isn't just to get the award,  but to deserve the award.  What use
is a goal if it doesn't cause you to do things to achive that goal that you
wouldn't do otherwise?   More than half the Bardic peices I've written were
written because I had the goal of winning a particular Bardic competition and
wanted to have something new to help in achiveing that goal.  Many of my best
poems might never have been written if I weren't trying to win those
competitions.
    So why do I want to be a peer?  Because I believe that one of the keys to a
healthy life is to set difficult and worthwhile goals and work hard to achieve
them.  Being a peer is one of the goals I've set for myself.  Working toward
that goal causes me to stretch myself to accomplish things I might not have
tried otherwise.  The smaller goals I achive while working toward the big one
give me a sense of pride, accomplishment and confidence.  And I'm having fun
too.  Of course once I achieve that goal I'll have to pick another more
difficult one.



Robert Fitzmorgan